Who knows this bird?

[Aafke]

Who knows this bird?
A friend of Kerwin visit the US and came home with this picture. She asked Kerwin if he knew this bird and he asked me if I knew this bird. I said it's a Blue Jay, but he wasn't satisfied with my answer. He said the Blue Jay hasn't such white feathers on his breast. So now I ask you, who knows this bird?
greetings Aafke

[Wing Goose]

Hi Aafke,
The bird looks like a Scrub-Jay.  Very common here in the Sacramento Valley and California and in the Pacific northwest,  Montana, Idaho, Washington, Wyoming, central Texas and Central Florida.  Probably a lot of places inbetween.  It looks like a good picture of a Scrub-Jay.
 
   Lola

[valhalla]

Hi Aafke,
The bird looks like a Scrub-Jay.  Very common here in the Sacramento Valley and California and in the Pacific northwest,  Montana, Idaho, Washington, Wyoming, central Texas and Central Florida.  Probably a lot of places inbetween.  It looks like a good picture of a Scrub-Jay.
 
   Lola

I agree!  It ISN'T a Blue Jay - not enough black and too delicate looking.

[Patti from Kentucky]

Hi Aafke,
The bird looks like a Scrub-Jay.  Very common here in the Sacramento Valley and California and in the Pacific northwest,  Montana, Idaho, Washington, Wyoming, central Texas and Central Florida.  Probably a lot of places inbetween.  It looks like a good picture of a Scrub-Jay.
 
   Lola

Definitely a scrub jay; the specific species would depend on where Kerwin was.  The most likely is the Western Scrub-Jay, which has a pretty broad range across the Western US.  There is also a Florida Scrub-Jay (restricted to Florida) and an Island Scrub-Jay (restricted to Santa Cruz Island off the southern California coast).

Patti

[dale]

Here's the scrub jay I photographed in Big Sur this Sept.
Alone in the first shot, and backed up by some steller's jays in the second.

[anneintoronto]

Here's the scrub jay I photographed in Big Sur this Sept.
Alone in the first shot, and backed up by some steller's jays in the second.

I just love that second photo!  It looks like a tea party, with the two Stellar Jays gossiping about the Scrub Jay!  Too funny!  Thanks for sharing it Dale!

Anne in Toronto 

[Aafke]

Thanks Lola, Janet, Patti and Dale for the information.

Kerwins friend who made the picture is studying in  Davis (Cal) for a year. I have no idea in which part of California Davis is situated, but probably you will know.
greetings Aafke